Our Great Dane

So as not to leave our lil' bro out (for time being) & thanks to tag by another girlfriend in OR, I will try & put Dane into words:) 1. No wonder we're having a hard time selecting a monosyllabic name for #3 when we've managed to randomly lengthen our other two. We added the "Dog" (or sometimes "Bug") to his nickname 'cuz Scooby Doo was a Great Dane & we saw one @ Bradley Lake Park before it was closed due to a bear sighting! Chris would have me add here that he would've preferred the name "Dash" instead. I don't remember him putting up much of a fight & yes, it was before Incredibles came out in theater; however, he threatened to make it official during his blessing @ Church. I was worried he might not be the swiftest kid in town & that would lead to mockery, but he is proving to be quite speedy & definitely into sports.

2. That leads me to his next endearing quality-especially in the Parker fam! He is already very knowledgeable re: team colors & mascots. He will recognize a logo or jersey anywhere & claim that they (the model or house or car) contains a fan of respective team. He frowns upon WA Cougars (yes, he knows the difference between them & his mother/grandparents/aunts' alma mater) & won't let us pick out anything that's red. He had a fit tonight when I tried to get him to eat a red vitamin vs. purple! Gotta love him:) Since baseball is in season again, he is always telling me during Mariner broadcasts that he "wuvs Richie Sexy" & Raauuul Ibanez like his grandpa!

3. We feared that Dane would never utter a word for 2 whole years & now he has a lot to say! I love to overhear conversations with his hero Towey (Cole) & he is my lil' buddy when Cole is @ preschool. He has a sweet speech impediment that I can't really explain in writing, but mostly consists of "b's" & "p's" where they aren't typically used! He knows exactly what he's trying to articulate & gets very frustrated when not even Mom can understand him; however, Cole usually translates when others struggle! Don't be fooled by the serious look on his face either! While he can be considered very serious by those who don't know him well & is sensitive on occasion, he has a silly personality & is very opinionated, determined lil' guy:)


















4. Dane is a heavy drinker! I think I need to cut his liquids off @ dinner if I have any hope of a dry night. Moreover, I think I need to make him eat his meals before I offer him a beverage or else he won't eat! Juice is usually the one of choice; however, he'll pretty much try anything except not a fan of plain H20...boring I guess?! He is constantly asking for something to drink & I'm not ashamed to say I still make him drink outta a sippy cup-so much that he'll ask for one that has a lid or valve 'cuz he's worried he'll spill! He drinks it down in one gulp without taking a breath & still sticks his tongue out underneath like a baby-(hard to describe, but notice he has 2 drinks in the first shot & the other pose we captured is one he came up with own one night @ dinner! charming, eh?:))



















5. Dane Christopher has graduated to a big-boy bed (trundle of Cole's) & big-boy undies by day + 4T in clothes in past few mos.! Unfortunately he still feels caught between lil' guy & big boy on most days: I think he's come to understanding that he'll never be older than Cole, but loves to be included with anything his brother does & counts all of his Cole's friends as his own. He is stuck between rooms 'cuz still I've kept his clothes in room that holds crib, but he insists that younger kids play with his Little People in there vs. toys to which he's graduated technically in Cole's room. He is bitter that he's still in nursery for another year (consider that & double-deductible insurance charge, etc. before you make a child have a Jan. b-day--ugh!) & calls everyone else in there a baby! He loves to have his hair spiked & wear cologne/ties to Church. He can't wait to be @ preschool for reals! Most of you are already aware of his affinity toward Super Heroes & all weaponry=true boy! For that reason, he is ready to be a big brother...On the other hand, he just recently became really into blankies & still wants me to hold him around the house or out @ stores! I s'pose I need to treasure this time while it lasts 'cuz they grow so fast!! I'm gonna try my best to make sure he doesn't feel like a "middle child" too often 'cuz that's my fear!!














K, he's only "free" but I added 2 more for the record & his ego. Amazingly enough, he could probably tell you that makes 5! To keep the party going, he tags Derek & Luke Bergeson (aunt's nephews on the other side; I'll let their mom decide if she wants to show 'em off separately or as twins:) even though she just posted accurate description about 4 y.o. boys), Greta Gehring/Annie Uffens (mostly 'cuz I love her mom's humor even though she's already the star of their blog until new baby comes next month/this fall), Cara McCray (she's a model-check her out! Cole said that if they were a couple, they'd be called "Beauty & the Dane":)) & Sam Lee!